Ambati Rayudu reveals why he quit YSRCP, met Pawan Kalyan

A few hours after meeting the Jana Sena Party leader at the JSP office in Guntur, Rayudu posted a statement on 'X'

Vijayawada: After meeting actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday, former Team India cricketer Ambati Rayudu said that they share the same vision and ideology.

He also revealed that he quit YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) as their ideologies had not aligned. A few hours after meeting the Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader at the JSP office in Guntur, Rayudu posted a statement on ‘X’. Ten days after entering politics, Rayudu had announced his resignation from the ruling party on January 6. He claimed that he came into politics to serve the people of Andhra Pradesh with pure intentions and heart.

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“I have joined YSRCP and I believed I could fulfill my vision. I have been on the ground and have visited many villages and met many people and understood their problems and I have done my best to solve them personally and I have done a lot of social work. Due to some reasons, I have not seen myself fulfilling my dream going forward with YSRCP. No blames. My ideology and YSRCP’s ideologies have not aligned and it has definitely nothing to do with contesting elections and x and y seat. I have decided to move on from politics,: he said. “My well-wishers and close friends and family have asked me to meet Pawan (Kalyan) anna once before making that decision to understand his ideologies. I have met Pawan anna and spent a lot of time discussing life and politics and understanding him. I am very happy to say his ideology and vision is very similar to mine and I am very glad to have met him,” he added.

Stating that he will be taking off to Dubai for his cricket commitment, Rayudu said he would always be there and stand for the people of Andhra Pradesh.

After his resignation from YSRCP, he had stated that he would stay out of politics for a while. He had later posted that he will be representing the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming ILT20 from January 20 in Dubai, which requires him to be politically non-affiliated whilst playing professional sport. Rayudu had joined Andhra Pradesh’s ruling party on December 28.

YSRCP president and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had welcomed him into the party. It was in April this year that the stylish middle-order batsman had decided to enter politics and declared that he wants to serve people. There was a buzz in political circles that the cricketer, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, may contest Andhra Pradesh Assembly or Lok Sabha polls, slated to be held in April-May.

Pawan Kalyan has already announced that JSP will contest the polls in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Rayudu played for India in 55 ODIs between 2014 and 2019, and six international T20 matches, and scored 1,694 runs, including three centuries and 10 fifties. Rayudu announced his retirement from the IPL in May after CSK won the 2023 tournament.